Best Grit for Sharpening Lawn Mower Blades
Choosing the best sharpener for your lawn mower blades can be a bit challenging. You have a variety of brands and models to pick from, and it can get pretty confusing if you are buying for the first time.
However, it’s obvious that you need an easy-to-use and efficient grit sharpener that will sharpen your mower blade in no time. It must also be affordable as well.
In this article, we have helped you narrow your search down to the 5 top-rated grits for sharpening mower blades. We also give you a clue into the best sharpening technique for your mower blade.
Best Grit for Sharpening Lawn Mower Blades
1. Smith’s 50603 Lawn Mower Blade Shop Essentials Sharpener
The 50603 lawn mower blade sharpener from Smith’s is a sharpening tool that most homeowners love for its versatility because it can sharpen the blades of a wide range of mower models and sizes such as mulching and standard lawn mowers.
Pros:
- Easy to use.
- Easy to fit.
- It’s affordable.
Cons
- It may not work for curved or serrated blades.
It’s durable head and a preset carbide help users sharpen their mower blades with ease. After sharpening the blade, keep it clean with the cleaning brush that comes with the sharpener.
2. Funvolution Lawn Mower Blade Sharpener Universal
The universal lawn mower blade sharpener is made of high-quality material such as corundum which makes it highly durable.
Pros:
- High-quality material.
- Lightweight and portable.
- It can work with both hand and power drills.
Cons
- Weak adhesive.
- It may not work for quite old blades.
Another important feature is that it’s grit’s grinding wheel is about 0.78 inch thicker than other models which supports its long-term use. It can be used with different hand drills and power drills. I found the thickness useful when sharpening very blunt mower blades.
Aside from lawn mower blades, the super-efficient and multipurpose sharpener can sharpen lawn tractors, drill blades, and sickle bar cutters.
3. Lansky Sharpeners Unisex’s Puck Dual Grit Sharpener
From Lansky is another super-efficient and pocket-size lawn mower blade sharpener. You can handle it with ease, thanks to its contour shape that supports safe handling.
Pros:
- It’s made of durable synthetic material.
- Dual grit for different sharpening purposes.
- It’s handy.
Cons
- It’s too coarse.
- Stone crumbles at the edges.
The Puck Dual Grit Sharpener is a great sharpener for any type of mower blade’s edge. What if the blade’s edge is nicked or badly worn? It can handle the badly-shaped handle quite well. Its coarse grit side is specifically designed to sharpen rough edges.
The lightweight sharpener measures 9.5 * 5 * 1.13 inches and weighing 0.22 kilograms. It is made of synthetic material and one reason why it’s one of my favourite mower blades’ sharpening grits.
4. Sharpal 216N Dual-Grit Multipurpose Sharpener for Lawn Mower Blade
The Dual-Grit Multipurpose Sharpener for Lawn Mower Blade is made of stainless steel base electroplated with industrial monocrystalline diamonds. At 0.44 pounds, the sharpener is light and easy to use.
Pros:
- It’s multifunctional.
- Comfortable and safe handle.
- It sharpens dry.
Cons
- Poor diamond coverage.
- It’s more expensive than most mower blade sharpeners.
The sharpener comes with two grits. The coarse 220 grit is suitable for sharpening damaged or dull edges, while the fine 600 grit is handy for honing. While sharpening the blade, don’t worry about a messy blade. The sharpener doesn’t work with water or oil.
Its ergonomic design makes it secure and comfortable to use. The ease of use is a fundamental reason why it is some mower users’ favorite sharpener.
Aside from lawn mower blades, it can also sharpen drill chisels, machete shears, and a host of other hard materials.
The Red Label Grit Premium Lawn Mower Blade Sharpener comes with industrial-grade ceramic belts that make it one of my preferred grits for sharpening lawn mower blades. Its self-fracturing properties support its reputation as one of the best mower blade sharpeners.
Pros:
- It has good abrasion.
- Fantastic sharpener sandpaper.
- It’s for multipurpose use.
Cons
- It doesn’t last on stainless.
- It’s expensive.
Another great attribute is its durability.Red Label Grit Premium Lawn Mower Blade Sharpener lasts longer than most of its competitors by between 50% and 200%.
If you worry about heat building up during grinding, this sharpener has a topcoat that reduces its tendency to build up the heat while working.
Thanks to its ceramic belts, it can sharpen, cut, and blend metals. It is also a good material for cutting ferrous and non-ferrous metals such as alloys, steel, copper, stainless steel, and a host of others.
The 50603 lawn mower blade sharpener from Smith’s is a sharpening tool that most homeowners love for its versatility because it can sharpen the blades of a wide range of mower models and sizes such as mulching and standard lawn mowers.
3 Signs You Need to Sharpen Your Lawn Mower Blade
Spare yourself the stress of using a blunt blade by knowing the most appropriate time to sharpen your mower’s blade. Here are some signs that indicate that the blade is blunt and needs to be sharpened:
Check the grass after mowing: One way to determine whether your mower’s blade needs sharpening is to check the grass after mowing. What’s the grass’ condition? Is it evenly or unevenly cut?
If the grass isn’t evenly cut, sharpen the blade. This is because the blunt blade can’t do a good job. In contrast, a sharp one will guarantee you an evenly cut lawn with a smooth look.
Check the grass blades: The grass blades’ condition may give you a cue too. If they are torn or shredded instead of sliced, the mower’s blades are blunt and are more likely to tear the grass than cut it.
Sharpen your lawn mower’s blade before you continue mowing or before the next mowing session if you notice shred grass while mowing the lawn.
Check the grass edges: Take a look at the grass’ edges. Frayed and brown edges are signs of a badly cut grass as a result of a blunt mower blade. Over time, rather than have a green, plush lawn, you will only have a brown and rough one, courtesy of the blade.
If you notice any of the above signs during or after mowing, the mower’s blade is blunt. Fix the bluntness with a grit sharpener.
How to Sharpen Your Lawn Mower Blade
Aside from getting an efficient and powerful grit for sharpening lawn mowers’ blades, knowing how to use the sharpener is crucial to getting the job done with ease and having a well-trimmed lawn. The step-by-step guide below helps you to sharpen the blade easily:
- Separate the ignition wire and the spark plug. If you are working on a cordless mower, disconnect the battery pack. The separation helps prevent the lawn mower from starting accidentally and endangering your life while working on the mower’s blade.
- Drain the gas tank as well. This prevents fuel spillage while trying to remove the blade.
- To access the lawn mower, raise it until its spark plug points upward. In the raised position, you can easily access the bolt or nut that attaches the blade to the mower.
- As a protection, wear a leather work glove before you start sharpening the blades.
- Use a ratcheting socket wrench to remove the nuts keeping the mower and the blade together. If you have kept the mower for long, the fastener may be rusty and difficult to lose. Apply some penetrating oil to the fastener to soften it and wait for a couple of minutes before trying to lose it again .
- Separate the mower and the blade to enable you to work on the blade separately. Removing the blade also gives you greater access to the blade’s components. You can inspect it for damage such as excessive wear, stress fractures, and other issues you may not easily identify if you don’t remove the blade.
- While removing the blade, please take note of how it is connected to the mower. After sharpening the blade, bolt it back in the exact place it was before you removed it.
- Use a narrow-blade putty knife to scrape the mower deck underside and remove the mud, grass, and whatever debris you find there. Spray both sides of the blade with penetrating oil. Use a stiff-bristle brush to scrub the oiled surface to keep it clean.
- Clamp the blade firmly with a vise to make it easier to work on it. While clamping, ensure that one of the cutting edges faces up.
- Insert a blade-sharpening stone into a driver. Squeeze the driver’s trigger to sharpen the lawn mower’s blade. During the sharpening session, ensure that the stone’s plastic guide is against the blade’s rear.
- After about five to-and-fro strokes, check the blade’s sharpness. If it’s not as sharp as you desire, stop at intervals to check the blade’s sharpness. Continue sharpening until you are satisfied.
- Remove the blade and rotate it so that you can sharpen the other side.
- Once you are done with sharpening both sides of the blade, test it with a blade balance. If one end of the blade is sharper than the other side, the blade is unbalanced. The blade will wobble while mowing. The wobbling may put the mower through undue stress or damage its motor.
- To determine if the blade is balanced or not, find a nail on the wall and slip the center of the blade over it. Hold it in a horizontal position and leave it. If the blade doesn’t shift or rotate, it’s balanced.
- When you are done with the sharpening and smoothening, reinstall the blade.
- Tighten the nuts with a ratcheting socket wrench.
- Fill the gas tank and reattach the ignition wire.
- Once everything is set, test run the mower.
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